(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an electronic bass musical instrument. More specifically, the present invention pertains to an electronic washtub bass musical instrument having the appearance, character and ambiance of a traditional washtub bass where the sounds of the bass are produced electronically, thereby providing vastly improved tonal quality and pitch accuracy to the sounds produced.
(2) Description of the Related Art
The washtub bass, or “gutbucket,” is a stringed instrument used in American folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. The traditional washtub bass is comprised of an inverted metal washtub, an elongate staff or stick held by the bass player in an upright orientation on top of the inverted washtub, and a single string that is secured to the top of the staff or stick and the center of the inverted washtub bottom. The pitch of the single string is adjusted by the bass player by pushing or pulling on the staff or stick to change the tension in the string.
The washtub bass was used in jug bands that were popular in some African American communities in the early 1900s. In the 1950s, U.S. folk musicians used the washtub bass in jug band-influenced music.
The hallmarks of the traditional washtub bass design are simplicity, very low costs and do-it-yourself construction. However, these gave the traditional washtub bass its historical reputation for poor tonal quality and difficult, if not impossible pitch control.